Dye kettle reel



May 21, 1957 w. W. MCKEE 2,793,034

DYE KETTLE REEL Filed Nov. '7, 1952 FIGLI WaZerWeslel/ cjee, BY 'PE E ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent O i" DYE KE'rrLE REEL Walter Wesley McKee, Philadelphia, Pa., assigner to Collins & `Aikman Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a con poration of Delaware Application November 7, 1952, Serial No. 319,390

2 Claims. (Cl. 271--2.3)

ful due to slippage of the material on the reel bars.

Reel bars having specially shaped harsh surfaces to engage the material have proven unsatisfactory due to the tendency to slip and in so doing cause damage to the fabric. llt is essential of course that the reel bars be sufficiently rigid an-d strong to carry the load of the material in its soaked condition. A strong metal construction is there fore preferred.

It is the primary purpose of this invention to provide an apparatus for moving textile materials through a dye kettle in dyeing operations which will provide an even rate of motion without slippage or damage to the material.

It is also a purpose of the invention to provide a dye kettle reel for the rotary transfer of material through a dye kettle of sufficient strength and rigidity to support the soaked material, but which will insure an even rate of dyeing without damage to the material fibers.

It is a further purpose of this invention to provide a reel bar which fulfills the structural requirements of moving heavy, soaked materials through a dye kettle, but which will not injure the fabric by any specially shaped harsh surfaces.

It is another object of the invention to provide a reel bar which will insure positive delivery of the dyed material through the dye kettle.

It is also a purpose of this invention to provide a reel bar for a dye kettle, having its surface shaped to distribute the load of conveyed material evenly across the top of the bar.

Many other objects and advantages of the invention will 4 be apparent from the detailed description which follows and from the drawings.

Fig. l of the drawings is a sectional elevation of a dye kettle or beck in which a length of material is being dyed, using the reel which is depicted as one embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of one of the reel bars shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view in section showing the relation between the material to be dyed and the reel bar as the material is advanced through 'the dye kettle.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of one corner of a reel bar having a ilat top shown for comparison with the reel bar of Fig. 2 made according to this invention.

Referring rst to Fig. l, there is shown a dye kettle or beck 10, which is essentially a tank, having a liner 11 fitted against one side of the kettle 10, and parabolically approaching the opposite side to form a gradual slope along one side of the kettle 10 to the bottom. Within the liner 11 is kept the dye liquor 12, in which the material to be dyed 13 is suspended.

The ends of the cloth 13 are brought together to form an 2,793,034 Patented May 21, 1957 ICC endless loop which is suspended from the reel bars 15, 16 and 17 and the whip roll 22.

The reel bars 15, 16 and 17 as shown in the embodiment of Fig. l, are projected from the face 14 of the reel at equiangular positions. The reel is mounted upon the axle 18 which is rotated bythe motor 21 through the speed reducer 20 and the chain drive 19.

T he whip roll 22 is mounted on the axis 23 which is free to rotate 4in the bearing mount 24.

Referring now to Fig. 2, there is shown the channel bar 30, preferably made from a strong material, resistant to chemical attack, such asa stainless steel. Across the top and sides of the channel bar 30 is laid a sheet 31 of a non-porous, non-absorbent material such as rubber, which is vulcanized directly to the channel bar 30. The rubber surface 31 is one upon which the dyed material 13 will not be likely to slip. There is thus provided a substantially rigid bar, strong enough to support the weight `of the soaked cloth, with a surface which will grip the cloth and impart positive motion to the cloth without injury to it due to slippage upon specially shaped. harsh surfaces.

A further important feature of the invention is shown by a comparison of Fig. 2 with Fig. 4. By providing an arched-top reel bar 30 having radiused corners as shown in Fig. 2 a large contact surface 32 is provided between the rubber 31 and the cloth 13. This provides better gripping of the cloth 13 and reduces Wear on the rubber 31 at the corners. The flat-top reel bar 40 in Fig. 4 requires the cloth 13 to be carried by the relatively small contact surface d2. Under operating conditions the rubber 41 tends to wear at the corners, shown darkened :in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 3 is shown a portion of the cloth 13 riding over the reel bar 15. The weight of the wet cloth 13 distributed over the large contact surface 32 provided. by the channel shaped bar 30 covered with rubber 31 insures a secure grip without slipping during the travel of the clotih with the reel bars 15, 16 and 17.

In operation the cloth 13 is suspended as shown from the uppermost reel bar 15 and across the whip roll 22 into the dye liquor 12 in the kettle 10. The reel is then rotated at the desired speed by means of the drive mechanism. The cloth 13 grips the rubber lagging 31 on the reel bar 15 and is carried through the arc of rotation of the reel bar until it reaches the position of reel bar 16, from whence it drops into the dye liquor 12.

As the reel continues to revolve the cloth 13 travels along the liner 11 at an even rate until it is drawn up to the whip roll 22. Due to the position of the Whip roll 22, the cloth 13 which is folded along the liner 11 continues to move steadily forward in its neatly folded condition until it reaches a point directly below the whip roll 22, at which time it is lifted vertically and passes over the whip roll 22 to the reel bar 15. The whip roll 22 prevents the cloth 13 from dropping between the reel bars at position 15 and position 17 as it travels to position 15, and thereby prevents any tangling of the cloth between the reel bars 15 and 17.

It will be observed that the folding of the cloth 13 along the liner 11 is accomplished by the positioning of the reel bars 15, 16 and 17 and the rotation of the reel 14. As the reel 14 rotates, the reel bars 15, 16 and 17 move in a vertical plane from the position 15 above the center of reel 14 out to near its periphery and then back towards the center as in position 16. Thus as the cloth 13 is dropped into the liquid 12 it is shuttled back and forth producing a neat fold along the liner 11 as shown in Fig. l.

It is to be understood that the embodiment of this invention shown and described herein is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various alterations in size and shape may be made without departing Cal spacial relation a plurality of substantially rigid parallel bars the said bars having arcuate tops, rounded corners and side edges depending from said corners substantially at right angles to said top and being covered with a nonporous non-absorbent substantially rigid plastic coating,

the said relative positions of said `bars and Whiproll being adapted-to allow the said bars to engage the material at averticalpoint above said'aXle.-- y g 2. For use in apparatus for moving'an endless loop of textile'material through a dye kettle, said apparatus including a material-conveying reel mounted' on a power driven axle, a material supporting freely moving Whiprol1 adjacent to said reel, said reel having mounted thereon a material moving reel bar comprising a Substantially rigid bar having an arcuate top, rounded corners adjacent thereto and side edges depending from said corners substan tially at righty angles to said top, and a. non-porous nonabsorbent substantially rigid plastic coating affixed to the surface of said bar, the surface of said coating being free of projections, but sufficiently rough to insure positive delivery of the textile material moved by said bar.

Referenaes Cited the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 445,296 Adams Jan. 27, 1891 486,631 Crossley Nov. 22, 1892 866,613 Arnold f Sept. 24, 1907 2,071,682 Buccicone Feb. 23, 1937 2,073,063 Hinnekens Mar. 9, 1937 2,133,823 McClellan ,Oct. 18,1938 2,145,609 Roe et al 'Jan. 311939 2,237,994 .Long Apr. 8, 1941 2,327,738 Perry Aug. 24, 1943 2,339,557 Rnnals Ian. 18, 1944 2,361,633 Jones Oct. 31, 1944 2,378,333 Simonds June 12, 1945 2,412,188 Sli/olfenden Dec. 3, 1946 2,504,883 Sinclair' Apr; 18,1950 2,555,851 Hancock June 5, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 332,180 Great Britain July 17, 1930 350,740 Great Britain June 18, 1931 622,331 Great Britain Apr. 29, 1949 973,972 France Sept, 20, 1950 

